After Pokémon - Volume 1
by RodQuest
Summary: Years after the end of Team Rocket, a new form of evil appears. An army of darkness begins to form, threatening to break the relationship of humans and Pokémon alike. With dangerous secrets being unveiled, a promising young trainer with a hunger for success begins his journey…
1. Chapter 1 - A Final Message

Chapter 1 – A Final Message

Another howling breeze shook the peak of Mt. Silver as snow and ice pelted down from above. The skies seemed to remain an eternal grey as the clouds beckoned an unrelenting scream of wind and pain. A single figure remained unfathomed as he stood there facing the world below. The lights of numerous cities glistened back before the oncoming fog blinded them from sight.

Giovanni looked down at the numb world below as his skin began to turn blue from the cold. Ignoring it completely, he knew that his final moments were approaching. His greying hair flickering the wind, eyes bloodshot and ruined clothes, the days of his hiding were over and now Giovanni had no other escape than into infinite darkness. Mt. Silver was no longer safe and the hidden secrets of his past were at risk of becoming set loose.

Moving away from the cliffs edge, Giovanni fell to his knees breathing heavily with blood now trickling from his arms, the frostbite settling in steadily. He had spent twenty years hidden away since the fall of Team Rocket, the nearby cave remained littered with past ornaments of a life disbanded and lost.

Flicking his hair to one side, Giovanni coughed, the sound echoing into nothingness due to the wind, as he placed a small black bag onto the frozen ground. The snow falling already began to bury it into the ground as the former Team Rocket leader helped it, growing desperate. His hands grew even more numb as he eventually fell back, screaming in pain as the wind began to increase speed. The bag had now vanished as the snow grew thicker, but Giovanni couldn't risk it further.

Grabbing a single Pokéball from his charred pocket, he gripped it muttering. "This is our last moment together…you need to remain…you have to protect what is within."

The ball shivered in his hand, as if acknowledging his words, as Giovanni shattered the ball, the metallic structure exploding in all directions as a blue light emitted from within. The energy was powerful with a large creature forming a few steps away – Giovanni's Nidoking.

The purple scaling body had begun to fray, revealing a greyish blue layer due to its age. Now fully released from its trainer at last it growled angrily, falling to one knee as it buffeted against the oncoming blizzard. Giovanni looked up at his old friend and called again. "You have to protect this, Nidoking. You have seen the power, the danger…you are my last hope.

Nidoking roared loudly, stomping the ground heavily where the bag had vanished in the snow, understanding its former trainer. Their attitudes for each other had grown ignorant over the past decade, their aging years not leading on well from the Team Rocket days of destruction and chaos.

Their eyes met for one last time as Giovanni breathed a sigh of relief, gazing back at the spot where the small black bag had laid. Walking away from the Drill Pokémon, Giovanni returned to the edge of the cliff and gazed down at the vertical drop. He stood there as memories of his past began to flicker to the front of his mind.

Nidoking watched on from behind as it growled again, a final message to its once trainer. Giovanni did not look back, he did not hesitate and without a further second of thought the mountain vanished behind him as he stepped into the abyss…

…

Years later.

"Houndoom, use Flamethrower! Find it. Destroy everything!"

The Dark Pokémon roared loudly as it unleashed a jet of fire from its mouth, its entire body lighting up as a result. Its tail whipped to the ground as it continued to burn through the walls of ice ahead, illuminating the entire cave as Zubat fluttered away in fear. Flamethrower after Flamethrower, the fire continued to melt the ice to no avail as the walls began to hold steady.

The group of cloaked figures looked on in dismay, their Pokémon unable to penetrate the glacial ice ahead of them. One stepped forward as their Houndoom prepared to launch another attack, muttering. "This is definitely the place…Giovanni must have spent years blocking the way."

"Giovanni knew we would come." A female voice echoed from behind the pack of individuals. They cleared a path instantly, each bowing their hooded faces down slightly as her footsteps echoed in the vast cavern behind them. Mt. Silver had taken them nearly a week to scale, even with their Pokémon and various technologies, Giovanni had hidden his secret so deep within it was impossible to access by air. She removed her hood to reveal slick dark hair, dampened by the dripping icicles above them, her piercing blue eyes reflected the remaining embers. "People had been chasing him for years for his prize. Our Leader will not accept failure. We must locate it."

Houndoom screeched loudly, whipping its tail back down as it unleashed another heated Flamethrower at the wall of ice at it steadily melted again. Its trainer removed his hood, a bald head appearing from within as he muttered in response. "Lady Red, we don't even know what we are looking for. This could be false."

"The Leader knows all. It is best we do not question him. Trust me."

The group heard the fear in her voice as she turned towards them, revealing a thick scar on her right cheek as she nodded and placed her hood back on. Immediately she took a step back, letting her group move ahead to reveal Pokéballs from their robes as they released them into the cavern.

Multiple Pokémon appeared from more Houndoom to Absol with the final Cranidos roaring into existence. More of the inner cave-dwelling Pokémon scattered away in fear as they all launched repeated attacks against the walls of blue ice ahead. Shards of ice began to appear, falling to the ground as they finally began to make progress.

Lady Red watched from behind, smirking slightly as her team began to move forward through the glacier of ice. The Leader would reward them for this find, and soon his plan would be set into motion. Absol unleashed a powerful Night Slash attack, its slanted horn cracking through another layer before Lady Red called for a halt.

Something glistened from inside as she moved forward, grabbing a flashlight from her side belt and shining it ahead. The Pokémon all seemed to stop as silence descended upon them as their trainers all gasped at what they had found.

Lady Red bent down, feeling the sheer cold ice with her gloves as the flashlight illuminated the skeleton of a Pokémon…


	2. Chapter 2 - Zack Stryder

A Departing Introduction

The sun had begun to rise over Shalour City, as a familiar Kalos breeze swept through the icy mountain tops and warm forests below. The fraying deserts shifting sand dunes moved in the wake of moving Pokémon as the storm of the night just gone finally disappeared over the oceans towards Hoenn. The sun caught the back of the Tower of Mastery, one of the most popular attractions of the region, as it reflected light onto the lower courtyards and worn battlefields.

Although early, the entirety of Shalour City was already outside either sweeping the wet roads, tending to the local markets and also preparing for a celebration, the festival. Local trainers were departing from the Tower of Mastery after years of hardcore training, preparation and learning, and as per tradition a festival for their departure was underway.

From the top of the tower, the long flowing blond hair of Korrina barrelled down to the floor. As an ancestor to the original user of Mega-Evolution, her ownership of the Tower of Mastery was a perfect fit. Her Aura Pokémon, Lucario, stood next to her, its claws fraying due to its age, but yet it had become an icon to the Kalos Region and the Tower. Korrina smiled, gazing at her long-term partner. "Every year we host this festival and more trainers leave…however things feel different, don't you think?"

Lucario gazed up, nodding briefly, before gazing at the battlefield below as the tents and markets were being set up. Korrina referred to a young trainer named Zack Stryder, one of the latest prodigies to come out of the Tower of Mastery. After leaving being sent from the Decolore Islands, the star student demonstrated a powerful bond with Pokémon from a young age. He had grown here, learnt quickly and now decided it was time to leave.

Korrina had watched over him and the other trainers, each one having their own ways of battling and treating Pokémon. However, there would no more hand-holding after today, and a celebratory tournament would take place for them leaving, certifying their ambassadorial duties for Shalour City and their training under the Mega-Evolution masters of the Tower of Mastery.

The sun had fully risen now as the morning began to draw out, the last of the flickering streetlamps turning off for the day. Lucario led Korrina back into the Tower, the shimmering marble stone steps spiralling to the ground floor. Voices were heard in the chambers as she smiled, wandering past each one and attempting to remember their voices for the last time.

One room remained silent as Korrina walked past, placing a hand on the wooden frame as she took a deep breath knowing who was inside. Moving further down, the markets outside of the Tower of Mastery began to open. Only a couple of hours were left, and Korrina would witness Zack battle once again.

Hearing the footsteps disappear down below, the short brown hair of Zack Stryder moved to one side as wind pushed through the open window. He hadn't slept all night in anticipation of today as he had packed and re-packed his bag several times out of nervousness. Tying his black trainers, matching his dark green jacket and jeans, he turned towards his partner laying in the bed nearby. "Shinx, it's time to warm up."

The Flash Pokémon sparked slightly as it awoke from its slumber, happily jumping down next to its long-term trainer. Its blue and black fur sent shockwaves into the stone ground as its lights lit up with electricity. The quadruped standing Pokémon had joined Zack's family in the Decolore islands a couple years after he was born, their bond unwavering to the point where it travelled with Zack to train at the Tower of Mastery.

Their bag was nearly packed as Zack re-opened up once again to check his various supplies; from random types of Pokéballs, Pokémon food, spare clothing and snacks, he found a small printed image of his family at the bottom. Gazing at his younger brother and parents, he knew this would be the day they wanted to see coming.

His family continued to work as researchers, focussing on Pokémon evolution and habitats in the oceans, the Decolore Islands being a perfect spot. Zack hadn't heard from his younger brother, Joseph, in many years due to him deciding to leave on his own journey at a younger age.

Zipping the bag shut, leaving it against the wall, Zack turned back to Shinx and bent down with a smile. "Shinx, this is our time now. We have watched so many trainers leave, but let's go out there and prove we are the best."

Shinx growled back as it jumped onto Zack's back, climbing up to his shoulder, sparking continuously. The Tower of Mastery had taught them a lot about battling and improving the bond with Pokémon, some trainers understood it quicker than others but for Zack, he managed to understand the concepts immediately.

Moving towards the wooden door with his partner at his side, Zack focussed himself on the day ahead and proceeded into the Tower.

…

"Today is a big day for our new generation of trainers, our new ambassadors and leaders of Shalour City." Korrina bellowed to the near thousands of onlooking attendees as staff of the Tower swept the worn and beaten battlefield below. The markets had been open for a couple of hours now, spreading delicious smells of food through the corridors and roads of the city. Shalour was completely lit, buzzing with excitement and the crowd roared back in approval with Korrina's Lucario joining in. "Four trainers are leaving today on their journeys around the world. Some remaining Kalos, and some moving off-shore to discover something new."

The crowd roared again, Lucario firing a powerful orb of Aura Sphere into the air that exploded, sending shattering energy waves back onto the field. Korrina smile, raising both of her hands as the trainers began to appear, walking out from behind the bleachers. Each wore a black cape, embedded with the symbol of a Mega-Stone representing the Tower of Mastery. Looking around, Zack Stryder was last to appear with Shinx gripping onto his shoulder. Nervousness spread through his body, he had had never battled in front of so many people before.

The sky was a perfect deep blue, the sun pushing heat waves of comfort towards the battlefield that absorbed it perfectly. The Kalosian summer was a perfect destination, and some of the onlooking crowd were just tourists unaware of the entire event.

The trainers stood on each corner of the battlefield as Zack gazed at them. They had grown up here together, they had battled and explored Kalos together and each had their own future and aspirations. However, his eyes locked on Callum Menos, as the reply came quickly. Korrina continued to speak about the 'Trainer C Class' as these two rivals looked each other up and down, Shinx sparking furiously.

Zack and Callum had struggled to work together in their several years at the Tower of Mastery, both meeting in Kalos, Callum was arguably the most popular of the trainers. Winning Junior Tournaments, making newspapers and even PokéVision shows on TV and online. His stunning blond hair flowed to one side, the females in the crowd even began to ogle at him. Just to top it off, Callum had a Riolu, making him the instant favourite of Shalour City due to Korrina's own Lucario; the evolved form and the possibility of Mega-Evolution.

Sniggering, Callum gazed back at Zack's somewhat awkward look with a sparking Shinx on his shoulder. Korrina was close to finishing her opening presentation as she looked back down at the trainers preparing and unsheathing their Pokéballs. "Zack Stryder and Callum Menos are both leaving the Kalos Region, and so it is only fitting they open the battling proceedings today. Show Shalour City what the Tower of Mastery is to Kalos, and prove yourselves as Graduates here."

The remaining two trainers returned back to their seats on the side stage as Korrina stood before them gazing proudly at her two graduates. Her fraying hair took the wind and moved as he brown eyes focused on Zack and Callum below.

Callum bellowed, to the crowd's great enjoyment and pleasure. "Shalour City…. today you will witness my power!"

The crowd called back, the female voices of the younger viewers echoing louder as Zack gazed on with a smirk on his face. Callum was popular, a Shalour City favourite, and most importantly a local whilst Zack had come from the Decolore Islands.

Shinx jumped from Zack's shoulder onto the rocky battlefield as it sparked angrily, preparing to battle. The Flash Pokemon growled loudly as electricity infected the ground sending cracks in all directions to demonstrate its power. Zack called. "Shinx, don't let Riolu's speed get to you."

Smiling, Callum responded by throwing his Pokéball into the air, exploding into life as the red and white ball opened in the middle. Red light emitted from within as a small two legged blue and black Pokémon appeared, the Emanation Pokémon, as it screeched loudly, its ears lifting high up to the noise of the crowd.

Riolu began to move quickly around the battlefield, zig-zagging its way from left to right as the battle began. Fireworks exploded into the sky as Korrina's Lucario shot an array of Aura Spheres once again high above. The crowd roared in appreciation to every move Riolu made, its trainer Callum ordering a constant stream of movement techniques to confuse the oncoming Shinx.

Zack watched closely, knowing he would be outmatched here, but Shinx was strong and it was time to put his years of training to the test. "Shinx, use Charge."

The Flash Pokemon illuminated its body as the sparking electricity all focused on the Pokémon. A few seconds later its electric moves were powered up as the flickering energy began to expand its reach on the battlefield. Callum was not messing around, flicking his hair to one side and commanding. "Get in close, Riolu. Finish this fast, use Force Palm!"

Riolu dashed forward quickly, energy exploding in its two palms as it closed in fast. Force Palm had the ability to paralyze its foes, and Zack reacted immediately. "Bite it back, use Thunder Fang, come on!"

Both trainers were now becoming more animated below as Korrina watched on. The speed of Riolu had caused numerous challengers in the past problems, Callum's methods of finishing battles quickly and effectively leading to many battles. Zack had always been a passionate battler, his Shinx loyal and their bond strong, but yet their grasp on battle strategies had been stunned and slow.

The audience began to increase volume as Riolu drew closer, its palms now illuminated to finish this battle only moments after beginning. Shinx reacted fast, driving electricity into its sharp teeth as it dived forward, empowered by the Charge move. Both Pokémon collided instantly, as sparks began to fly with both energy sources colliding. Shinx was immediately pushed back as a result, attempting to reject the Force Palm move.

Riolu spun backwards, burnt from the heated Thunder Fang as it back-flipped athletically into position to strike again. Powering forward, determined to finish the match, Callum commanded another Force Palm. Zack had little time to react with Shinx struggling with recoil, with a very limited move-set, the Flash Pokemon always struggled with physical based attacks.

Thinking fast, Zack called. "Shinx, use Spark and push Riolu back. Charge forward!"

Shinx roared loudly, its sparking body illuminating once again as it flew forwards towards the oncoming Riolu. Taken by surprise, the Emanation attempted to abandon the attack to dodge, but Shinx got there first. Engulfing the opponent in electricity, Riolu screeched loudly in pain as the crowd gasped. Korrina stood up, impressed, as she squinted at the small Flash Pokemon powering down its opponent.

Riolu was losing ground fast, the edge of the battlefield drawing closer as Callum began to get more animated. Glancing over at Zack he bellowed angrily. "Your little Shinx will never defeat us. Riolu, don't let it push you. Counter!"

Flashing white, Riolu reacted using the little energy it had left within as it dug its feet into the ground, preventing Shinx from charging further. To Zack's shock, Riolu ignored the electric domination as it grabbed the Flash Pokemon by the head and chucked it backwards, slamming it to the ground.

Silence gripped the arena now as Zack looked on, stunned at the sudden move as the sparking electricity from Shinx's body died out, replacing with bruises and deep cuts due to the hardened battlefield. Korrina, equally stunned, by the powerful Counter move, stood up and called with caution. "The…the winner of the battle is Callum Menos."

The crowd instantly cheered, a standing ovation for the winning graduate as further fireworks exploded into the deep blue sky above. Zack walked steadily around the battlefield before falling to one knee to lift up his unconscious Shinx with a smirking Callum nearby.

Callum muttered. "Another defeat against me Zack. Even after all these years, seems your Decolore Island success is nothing in Kalos."

Zack refused to respond, turning away immediately and wandering towards the stage where Korrina prepared to greet him with a smile. The crowd continued to make noise as an individual with a long white lab coat within looked on, applauding but keeping his eyes focused on the losing trainer…


End file.
